Elon Musk met with Iran’s United Nations (UN) ambassador to discuss diffusing tensions between the US and Iran.
According to two Iranian officials who spoke with the New York Times, the pair met a day before President-elect Donald Trump appointed Musk as co-head of the newly minted Department of Government Efficiency. The two officials said the meeting between Iran’s Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, and Elon Musk lasted more than an hour and described it as “positive” and “good news.”
One of the officials also said that Musk had requested a meeting with Iran’s UN ambassador. The meeting comes as Trump and his newly forming administration prepare to face the increasing tensions in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war.
What Elon Musk’s meeting with Iran’s UN Ambassador means
“The American people re-elected President Trump because they trust him to lead our country and restore peace through strength around the world,” said Karoline Leavitt, the spokeswoman for the incoming Trump administration. “When he returns to the White House, he will take the necessary action to do just that.”
As Trump prepares to step into the Oval Office for a second term, it is clear that he sees Musk as a significant player in his plans for the country in the next four years. Musk’s meeting with Iran’s UN ambassador is not the only meeting of national importance Musk has been a part of since Trump won the election.
During a call between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, the president-elect handed the phone to Tesla’s CEO. Musk also previously helped the Ukrainian president with Ukraine’s communications in the war.
As a close advisor to Trump, Musk is playing a significant role in de-escalating situations in the Middle East and between Ukraine and Russia. As a result, Musk’s meeting with the UN ambassador representing Iran likely involved presenting the new administration and beginning what could be a crucial dialogue in repairing the dismal relations between the two nations.
“He’s (Musk) now engaging the Iranians,” said Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. “And the Iranians have not engaged Americans in direct negotiations since before Trump left the nuclear deal, so this could be a very big deal.”
In Trump’s first term, he soured relations with Iran by pulling out of Iran’s nuclear deal and placing oil sanctions on them. Trump called the Iran nuclear deal “a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made.” The president-elect also ordered the assassination of Qassim Suleimani, Iran’s top general, during his first term, a move which many Iranian officials vowed revenge for.
As a result, Iran’s supreme leader ended all negotiations with the Trump administration. Musk’s meeting was likely intended to signal a change in the administration’s stance toward Iran and, in turn, change Iran’s stance toward the US for the next four years.
“Overall, everything is possible with Trump,” said Ali Vaez, the Iran director for the International Crisis Group. “He appears to be interested in a deal with Iran.”